Key takeaways
- Most modern Cordyceps extracts use cultivated Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies.
- Some products use fermented mycelium under older names.
- Cordycepin is water-soluble, so hot water extraction is important.
- Check the species, part used and extraction method.
Cordyceps extracts vary more than most, partly because of the species confusion around the name and partly because of how differently they can be produced. This article explains how Cordyceps extracts are made and what to look for.
Starting with the right material
Most modern Cordyceps extracts use Cordyceps militaris. Its cultivated fruiting bodies are bright orange and slender. Some products instead use fermented mycelium, sometimes sold under the old name “Cordyceps sinensis”. Knowing which you are dealing with comes first. See Cordyceps militaris vs Ophiocordyceps sinensis.
Drying and preparation
Cultivated fruiting bodies are harvested and dried. Being thin and relatively delicate, they dry and break down more readily than woody species such as Reishi.
Hot water extraction
Hot water draws out polysaccharides and water-soluble nucleosides. Cordycepin, the compound particularly associated with C. militaris, is a nucleoside that dissolves in water. See Cordyceps Compounds and Chemistry Explained.
Alcohol extraction
An alcohol stage draws out less polar compounds, such as sterols, and also preserves the finished tincture.
Combining
In a dual extract, the two are blended into a single tincture; for powders, the extract is usually dried.
What to look for
- The species: C. militaris or something else?
- Fruiting body or mycelium, and if mycelium, how was it grown?
- The extraction method, clearly described.
How we make ours
We extract UK-grown Cordyceps militaris fruiting bodies in hot water using ultrasonic extraction, and separately in plant-derived ethanol, then combine them in small batches in Dorset. Explore our Cordyceps tincture.